Healing
by eugeniamj
Summary: a mysterious woman with an extraordinary past lands up at the Elric home and changes the lives of the inmates.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Edward Elric stood outside the military hospital room, waiting patiently for a nurse to come and inform him about his pregnant wife .The morning sun was beating down on him through a window .He was too agitated to sit so he stood and quite nearly forgot about his year old son. The little boy was playing with the buttons of his shirt and blabbering happily to himself, he seemed oblivious to the tension in the hall.

Edward picked him up and clutched him tightly to himself; he remembered the time when this little replica of himself was born .The boy had been named Albert after his maternal grandfather. Back then when he had stood outside the same hospital room, he had been a bundle of nerves and at a complete loss of what to do. Now, a year later, his experiences seemed to have made him no wiser or better prepared. A grim looking nurse interrupted his thoughts.

"Are you Col Elric?"

"Y...yes"

"I am sorry to inform you that Mrs. Elric had some complications during the delivery and is critical. Dr. Benson will talk to you in a few minutes. Your newborn daughter however is in good health. "The nurse said sympathetically.

Ed blinked; all his worst fears started creeping their way back into his mind. He tried to push them away but to no avail .He tried to speak but no words came out. He struggled with sadness and heartache at his wife's condition .Nevertheless he was relieved that his daughter was alright.

"You want to see your wife? Am I right?"The nurse continued.

Edward simply nodded and followed her. He left little Alby with a nurse in the maternity ward. They soon reached a large ICU .the sight he beheld took the air out of him. He wanted to believe he was dreaming, but everything was so real. Winry his beautiful wife was so pale, so sick looking that he had to look away. There were tubes all over her body. He stood there in silence for a while until he was again interrupted but this time by a doctor with thick glasses.

"Col Elric, I'm Dr. Benson."

"Yes?"

"I am sorry about your wife. We have done all that we could, but I'm afraid we cannot save her .She has lost too much of blood. Her condition is steadily deteriorating, she won't be able to sustain much longer."

The words struck him like a sword, his mind kept repeating 'it's only a bad dream; it's only a bad dream, WAKE UP!' But no, he was still in the hospital talking to a bespectacled doctor about his dying wife.

"That can't happen …she can't just die." He said, trying to evade reality.

"I'm so sorry ", the Dr. Benson said as he patted shoulder.

And suddenly Edward started to cry.

The next few hours were a daze .He didn't know what was real and what was fantasy. He saw his daughter but it only made him cry because she looked exactly like her mother. He could almost visualize her opening her eyes to peer at him with soft blue irises that he loved so much.

He spent the last hours sitting by Winry's bedside wondering how he was to go on without her. She was his anchor, his support .Her smiles, her laughs and even her angry fits -he'd miss them all. He played with a few strands of hair that fell on her face as he thought of her.

She regained consciousness during that time; Ed was relieved at this as he took it as a sign of recovery. But all his hopes were dashed when Winry spoke in a rather breathless voice.

"This i…is goodbye Ed."

"Winry, don't ..." the words died on his lips .he took her hand and kissed her fingers.

"Take care of the child...ren and your…self. Call her...Trisha…you'd like that." A ghost of a smile gracing her face.

"Winry….I…"

"Don't do anything (cough)….stupid Ed….let go ….let go…."

He knew what she was talking about and he knew that she was right; he would eventually have to move on. She coughed again. Ed tried to put her at ease though it did not help.

"You'll find some…one. "Opening her eyes she looked at him meaningfully.

This time he worked up his courage to speak.

"No…that can't be …you can't leave us …please "he said weakly.

Winry was slipping away and he knew it, but there was nothing he could do. He hated it, she was leaving them and nothing could make her stay. His golden eyes brimmed with tears.

"Don't c...ry E…Ed ...Bye…."she mumbled with difficulty as a single tear ran down her cheek. Then slowly she drifted back into unconsciousness. Someone tapped his shoulder from behind. He turned around to see Alphonse's face wet with tears. But he wasn't crying anymore. Ed knew that Al was trying to be strong for him.

"Brother." Al whispered.

And somehow that simple word comforted him and assured him that he was not alone. He realized that Al was very sensitive to others' misfortunes and Winry had been a major part of his life, so he must be hurting a lot too. Ed felt a sudden urge to console his brother. He knew that Al was keeping back all his grief because he was worried about him. His brother's selflessness touched him deeply.

Outside he saw General Mustang standing with Albert in his arms; he eyes reflected sadness and understanding .Maybe it was because he too had seen a loved one nearly die before him and could feel Ed's anguish.

Alphonse sat beside Ed. All the while there was silence with Al observing his brother and occasionally sparing a glance at his dying sister-in-law. Looking at Winry brought pain to his chest and it was intensified futher by Ed's broken state. Meanwhile, Ed thought about what Winry said to him. She seemed so unlike her usual fiery self. She must have known death was approaching and had tried her best to comfort him when it was she who needed it. The sad teary look that was on her face as she said goodbye remained etched in his memory.

The doctor came in for occasional checkups and two hours later at dusk she died.

Peyton the Blood Alchemist , Gisel0202 thanks for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. This is the first time I've ever written a story.


	2. One Fine Day

The train from Central arrived at Resembool station dot on time. A lone young woman got off the train with a heavy green trunk. She was dressed in a sea blue sundress with a white cotton jacket to go with it. A white hat sat perched on her head and strongly contrasted her wavy raven hair that went halfway down her back. The station was deserted and so the young lady dragged her heavy trunk with her to the dusty road outside.

She brought out her diary and checked for the address of the inn where she was to stay. Having done that, she turned to the left and started walking towards the inn. The view around her was breathtaking. Beautiful spring grass grew wherever there was a patch of soil and gave of a relaxing earthy scent that soothed her senses._' This place is quite beautiful'_ she thought to herself as she inhaled fresh country air._ 'I might as well make the most of my leave and enjoy it. However, I must first visit the Rockbell doctors'_- they had been so kind to her. She had asked them for their address years ago when she was a little child and was desperately hoping that they had not moved to some other place. Though times had been bad back then for her, the thought of the Rockbells always made her smile. She was also anxious to meet their daughter who she speculated must be the same age as her.

She stopped in front of a small building that had a rusty **'resembool inn** 'board on it. She entered and asked for her room. Only a room on the second floor was available and so, she began to make her long journey to her room. As she ascended the staircase, she felt herself being watched, turning around she found herself being leered at by five burly men who were standing by the main door. A chill went up her spine and she rushed up the remaining stairs with a now seemingly weightless trunk, opened her room door and slammed it shut after tumbling in. Exhaustion finally caught up with her And she crashed clumsily onto the single bed and closed her eyes. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what she must say when she would meet the Rockbells in the evening.

In another part of town in a secluded house-cum-auto mail repair shop, a young blonde man was having a rather difficult time putting diapers on his two toddlers. He was interrupted by a phone call from Xing-

"Edward, Alphonse is on the line, he says that he has something to tell you!" old granny Pinako called.

Ed carried the babies downstairs along with a bag of soiled diapers with him. He put the kids down in their playpen and said "I'm just going to talk with your Uncle ok ...stay right there and play with your teddy.'

"I wanta tok to unc Al!"

"Alby-"

"Tish wanta talk too!" said Alby who was quite the blabbermouth. Trisha meanwhile mumbled quietly to herself, content in her own world.

"Ok, Ok…let daddy talk" and with that he walked over to the phone placed in the passageway near the front door .Unconsciously, he dumped the soiled diapers onto the counter as he picked up the receiver.

"Hey Al"

"Hi Brother, how have you all been keeping?"

"Good, good …the kids have grown; they're quite a handful though."

"That's nice I really want to meet them. Anyway, I just called to say that I won't be able to visit this month you liked we had planned earlier. I'm deep into Alkahestry and will be meeting some renowned scholars this week. Mei says that I should stay for a month more and finish my studies, so I guess I'll do that. You know, Brother, she's been acting strange lately ….especially when I talk of coming back home. I just don't understand."

"Ah….so you won't be coming …that's alright. This bean sprout girl….is something going on with you two?"

"BROTHER! Do not call her that and it's not what you think …we have a purely platonic relationship. You have to remember that she is a princess and I'm just a state guest."

"That's okay….but I'll try not to call her bean sprout girl as she just might be my future sister-in-law. "said Ed laughing.

"Brother!"

All right Al, I won't tease you "said Ed smirking, he was happy that Al was finally enjoying the life that he deserved from the very beginning.

"Fine …bye ...I'll be coming at the end of next month."

"I'll be waiting. Bye Al."

"And …you should go out more often and do what makes you happy ….that would make Winry happy too." Alphonse said rather seriously. Ed shivered at the mention of Winry.

"Okay …Alby's crying got to go …bye ."Ed said eager to get off the phone now that Winry had been brought into the conversation.

Winry …his late wife, his heart ached when he thought of the day she died. He didn't understand why she had to die so young , why she never got to see her daughter or teach her son the alphabets when that was all she had talked about the nine months of her pregnancy ,while he undeserving as he was he got to live with them and see their sunny smiles every single day.

He decided he wanted some time off to be by himself. After confirming that granny Pinako was there to look after the children, Ed stalked off to his room, sat himself on the bed and stared at the wall in front of him blankly. A picture of Winry and him stared back. Tilting his head to a side, he eyed the photograph. Granny Pinako had taken the picture after Winry had told him that he was going to be a father. In it, a bemused Winry was smiling at his grinning face.

He looked at Winry's face aware of the fact that he could never bring back those happy times. He had safely kept the wrench that she used to smack him with in his drawers. It brought back memories of the time when he would come home with broken auto mail and be welcomed with a wrench, a time when he couldn't imagine confessing his feelings for her lest she hit him again. There had been quite a few fights but that had only brought them closer, close enough to understand each other's temperaments and reasons. Then one day she had to go- go far away to a place where he could not reach her in this lifetime. With a sigh, he got up and reached for a photo of Trisha and Albert that stood on his bedside table. Alby was a carbon copy of him and was very talkative, maybe he got that from his mom. Trisha on the other hand was everything like Winry. Her baby blue eyes sparkled intelligently just the way her mother's did when she came up with innovative ideas regarding auto mail. '_They are my life now. '_Ed thoughtrunning a hand over the picturehe got up and decided to take a shower. After returning the picture to its place, he grabbed a towel from his closet and made his way to the bathroom. However, at that moment the bell rang, so he went down to get the door.

'_Its probably a some official document from central that Mustang has sent. He really won't let me enjoy my leave will he.'_ He grumbled as he yanked the door open with a little too much force. The visitor did not seem prepared for this and stumbled forward colliding with his chest.

.


	3. The Meeting

Emily blinked twice before raising her head to take stock of what had just happened. What she saw made her blush deep crimson. She had bumped into the chest of an irresistibly good looking blonde man who was staring at her with wide liquid golden eyes. The realization that she was hearing very loud heart beats that were definitely not hers only made her turn into a deeper shade of red .

Taking three unsteady steps backwards, she stuttered an apology to which the man responded by shaking his head dumbly.

"Um….I...I'm here to meet the Rockbell doctors…..Is this the house?"

Ed wondered how it was that she knew nothing about what happened to them. She looked no older than him so she must have met them as a little child, but she didn't look like she belonged to Reembool or even Amestris. Xingese blood seemed to run strong in her. The only things Amestrian were her silver-grey eyes. Only then did he notice how exotic and beautiful the petite lady really was. It was quite obvious that she expected the Rockbells to be alive and he hated to be the one to break the sad news to her.

"They were killed in the Ishvalan War. I'm the son-in-law."He said softly.

"They ….. ….oh no" she said, dazed and in complete shock.

When she finally found her voice she said, "Winry …..Winry must be here. Can I speak with her?"

"I'm a widower. "He said gravely as his expression clouded.

"I…I'm so sorry "she whispered.

An overwhelming sense of sadness filled her, then her mind went blank- everything spun around her. Strong arms grabbed her by the shoulder to keep her from falling.

"You don't look well, come inside."

"What is the matter?"An old woman called.

"A young lady came here asking for the Rockbell doctors and Winry." the blonde man told the old lady. He looped his arm around her and let Emily lean on him as he guided her through the hall. There she smelt something foul, quite possibly dirty diapers. Weirdly though, the strong odour revived her as she tried to gather her wits about her. She was led to a seat by the kitchen table. Introducing her to the old lady he said "This is Pinako Rockbell, Winry's grandma."

Bowing to the elderly Rockbell, she said" Please forgive me for my intrusion, ma'am."

"There's no need to be so formal, child. You can call me grandma Pinako. Are you alright? What's your name?" as Pinako offered her a glass of cool spring water. Pinako had overheard parts of the conversation at the door. She didn't want to agonise the girl again so she did not question her. Somewhere in her mind she was taken back to the time when her son was alive.

Emily had noticed that the young man had disappeared. From her seat she got a good view of the whole kitchen, the warm homely feeling made her slightly more comfortable, but she felt guilt. Guilt was what she felt for not contacting them all those years and it was only escalated further because of their death. Was it because of her that they died-because they were trying to protect her? That hurt even more. Would Pinako Rockbell ever forgive her, would she have welcomed her here if she knew that she was probably the cause of their death? '_Why? Why do I always cause everyone pain? Why am I like this?'_ she thought sadly as she sipped the water.'_ I won't tell them about my past or that I'm a state alchemist.' _Telling them that would only raise questions on why she joined and how she passed such a difficult examination. She must also never let it slip that she does not need a transmutation circle to do alchemy. Guilt ate her from inside and she felt sad for the family- a family that had lost its first and second generations of loved ones.

Coming back to the present, she decided to say her full name. There was no way they would know.

"Emily Grumman."

"Grumman?" the man shouted from downstairs.

'_Or maybe somebody does know' _

"Remember your manners Ed."Pinako scolded.

'_Ed…interesting …somehow I feel that I have seen him somewhere'_ Emily thought. "His name is Edward?" she asked.

"He didn't tell you his name, did he? His name is Edward Elric."

Suddenly it all clicked, now she knew why he looked so familiar. Edward, he was a state alchemist till he lost all his powers to restore his body. The brother's name was Alphonse. She had seen their picture in the military papers. They both had those rarely found golden eyes. Edward, she had heard had joined the back after three years as a Major and was stationed in the East. He was one of the examiners for the military tests and oversaw all alchemic experiments, Grandpa Grumman had told her.

Edward reappeared," Grumman, you say, as in Fuehrer Grumman?"

"Of course not…hehe…..you've got to be kidding….of course not…..it's a Grumman from West City" fumbled Emily as she tried to conceal the truth._' One secret out will only lead to the rest of the secrets being exposed'_ Emily groaned to herself.

Because of the way she was trying to avoid his gaze, Ed didn't believe a word of what Emily said. She was trying to hide something, of that he was pretty sure._' But why?' _he tried to reason with himself.

Pinako spoke," Where are you staying?"

"At the Resembool Inn."

"That's not a very nice place for a woman to stay alone. You should stay with us. That's the least I can do for an acquaintance of my son and daughter-in-law."

Ed noticed that at this remark, Emily looked deeply touched but the guilt in her expression was evident. Another strange fact was that Pinako hadn't questioned the girl at all about her suspicious behavior and had just invited her to stay. His curious and inquisitive mind wondered why.

"I couldn't …thank you, though…..don't worry, I'm fine."

"Don't be shy ….you should stay here…Ed can carry your with the luggage. Give him the key and the room number." Ed grimaced when he heard Pinako speak. He wanted to protest but he didn't because he did not want to be impolite.

"I ….well …I don't want to impose." Emily said, but on seeing Pinako's disappointed expression, she gave in. A few seconds later the phone rang so Pinako rushed to the hall as fast as her aged legs could carry her.

"I'll come with you. I sorry that I'm being such a burden." Emily said apologetically, knowing that he didn't like Pinako's idea one bit. Ed was startled because she was looking at him straight in the eye, probably for the first time since her embarrassing arrival at his home. Her penetrating gaze unnerved him-her eyes were like silver gray pearls .They were piercing and yet there was an air of innocence in them that made him fumble like a fool.

'_Damn woman! How annoying. How can she, a complete stranger affect me like this. Urgh!_' He huffed and stomped off to put on his shoes, never realizing how red his face was.

Meanwhile Emily stood all by herself in the kitchen with an utterly bewildered expression on her face.


End file.
